Draco stood nervously on Platform 9 ¾ staring at the entryway as families filed in from King's Cross Station. What if she didn't come? Draco thought. What if she didn't know how to get onto the platform? But suddenly she appeared, a little out of breath. It seemed as though she took the wall at a bit of a run. Draco smiled to himself. She must have been nervous. She looked up and their eyes locked. A smile crept across Draco's face as he saw her beaming back at him looking quite proud of herself.

"Draco." His father's voice commanded Draco's attention. "You had better get on the train." Lucius Malfoy continued looking at the other families out of the side of his eye. "You'll want to get a good seat, so you don't end up being forced to sit with...filth." He sneered, looking over at a red headed family who seemed to have more children than they could handle. Draco nodded, and followed his father's orders, climbing aboard the train and finding a compartment with a few boys that he recognized as children of his father's friends. He sat in silence as the boys made crude jokes about some of the people still standing on the platform. Draco wasn't really paying attention, but he caught words that he often heard in his father's vocabulary such as "blood-traitor," and "mudblood." He could tell that these boys were raised with the same beliefs he was regarding pure-blood status, and by the looks of them, he had no doubt that they would back those beliefs up with physical strength if anyone questioned them.

Draco looked up to see Hermione's face peering into the cabins as she came down the corridor, and he knew she was looking for him. Whether it was out of fear for her, or nervousness on his own account, he quickly exited the cabin before she could reach it, so his new companions would not see her.

"You can't sit with me." He said quickly, instantly regretting his callousness at the hurt look on Hermione's face. "I'm sorry," he said "it's just that these guys won't like you." He gestured over his shoulder at the occupants of his cabin. "They were raised just like me. They won't take kindly to a mudblood walking in and sitting with them will they?"

Hermione scowled looking angry. "I thought you said you wouldn't call me that? It's nasty." She put her hands on her hips. "And who cares what they think? Are you embarrassed to be friends with me?"

"No!" Draco said, lowering his voice. "I just don't think we should go shouting about it all over the place. Those guys are dangerous. They're families are friends of my father's."

The train lurched and began it's journey towards Hogwarts. Before Hermione could respond, a flustered boy with a round red face came hurtling down the corridor looking frantic. "Has anyone seen my toad?" He cried. Draco laughed meanly at the sight of the boy, and Hermione shot him an angry look. "Please," The boy continued. " His name is Trevor, my Gran will kill me if I've lost him already!"

"Why do you care about some dumb toad?" Draco scoffed. But Hermione took a much kinder approach, and placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry." She said calmly. "I'll help you look." As the boy turned to lead her down the corridor she looked at Draco with disgust. "Go back to your real friends Draco, before they see you talking to a filthy mudblood." And she stormed off down the length of the train.

The journey to Hogwarts seemed to take forever. As he walked the train, Draco saw Hermione sitting in a cabin with two boys, one of whom Draco recognized as a member of the red headed family that he'd seen on the platform. "Great." He thought. "She's falling into the wrong crowd already." His thoughts were interrupted by whispers from some of the other passengers. "Harry Potter.." They said. "right there..in that cabin." Draco looked around. "The Harry Potter?" He thought. As he looked, he recognized the boy as one he had seen while getting his school robes in Diagon Alley. He felt a twinge of jealousy as he watched Hermione sitting in Potter's cabin.

The Hogwarts Express arrived at the platform with Draco still fuming over his failed attempt at extending a hand of friendship to Harry Potter. He felt another jolt in his stomach when he saw that Hermione had climbed into the same boat as Potter, the red headed Weasley, and the toad boy from the train. They arrived at the castle and were ushered into the Great Hall for the sorting ceremony. When Hermione's name was called she hurried forward eagerly and the sorting hat was placed on her head. Draco could see that she was shaking slightly. She was nervous, and so was he. Maybe she would get placed in Slytherin regardless of her muggle birth. He crossed his fingers, hoping and praying that it would happen.

"GRYFFINDOR" shouted the hat, and Draco's heart sank as he watched Hermione hurry excitedly over to join the Gryffindor table.

Draco, as expected was placed in Slytherin, thus truly separating him from the person he regarded as his best friend. Over the next few weeks, Draco had no contact with Hermione. He saw her from afar at meals, and only had Potions class with her, though of course they did not sit together. He sat with Crabbe, and Goyle, who he related well to, though he didn't think that either of them were very bright. Hermione, of course sat with Potter and Weasley. He was not sure their friendship was completely mutual though, as it seemed Hermione often caused them irritation. This angered Draco. How could she hang out with people who didn't even appreciate her?

Draco's irritation with Harry Potter soon turned into loathing. Potter made Draco look like a fool at their first flying lesson, only to be rewarded with a position on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and a brand new broom. He thwarted Draco's attempt for revenge when he miraculously avoided Filch after Draco tipped him off about Potter being out of bed after hours. But nothing made him angrier than when Hermione pushed past him in the corridor with tears streaming down her face. Draco looked around just in time to hear Potter and Weasley saying to each other " She must've noticed she's got no friends." Draco restrained the urge to punch them both, and instead hurried off up the corridor after Hermione.

"Hey," he called, pushing back the tapestry behind which Hermione had just vanished. He caught her arm and pulled her around to face him in the otherwise empty corridor. "What's going on? Why are you crying?"

Hermione looked up at him and gave a little sniff. "Why do you care?" She shot back at him.

"Hermione," Draco said feeling his throat tighten a little. He hadn't talked to her in months. "I care..."

Hermione closed her eyes, and wiped her hands over her face. "I'm just having a difficult time adjusting that's all." She said thickly. "It's not like I grew up in this world the way you did! I thought when I came here I would finally feel like I belonged, but no one here likes me either!"

"Who, Potter, and Weasley?" Draco said slightly annoyed. "Why do you want them to like you? There's jerks!"

"Well at least they're not embarrassed to be seen with me!" She snapped. She pushed him away from her and stormed down the corridor.

"Hermione!" Draco called attempting to follow her, but without another glance at him, she disappeared into the girl's bathroom.

After Halloween, Potter, Weasley, and Hermione seemed almost inseparable. To Draco's annoyance, Hermione seemed to have finally been accepted by them, and he could see her friendship with them growing right before his eyes. The next couple of months flew by, and before anyone knew it, the Christmas break was upon them. Departing the castle, and returning home held mixed emotions for Draco. He did miss his mother, and as long as nothing happened to anger his father, Draco anticipated a pleasant holiday. He caught Hermione as she was leaving the station, just long enough to whisper to her "Meet me tomorrow at noon." Before hurrying to his waiting parents.

Not knowing if Hermione would actually show up, Draco sneaked out of his house the following day and made his way through the snow cover trees. He brushed the snow off of the swings, and sat down to wait, hoping that she would come. Draco saw her before she has reached him, and a wave of relief swept over him. He slid from his swing, and rushed to her. He pulled her into a tight hug, though he could feel that she had taken a slight step back at his touch. "I miss you." Draco said, abandoning all attempt at playing it cool.

"Draco," Hermione said as they broke apart, "It's freezing, why are we here?"

"Hermione," Draco suddenly felt awkward. "This is not how I wanted the school year to go. I'm sorry." When she didn't respond, he continued. "I just can't stand that Potter and his stupid sidekick! How can you be friends with them?"

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "How can you be friends with that Crabbe, and Goyle. They're vile!"

Draco sat back down on the swing, and to his relief Hermione took a seat on the other one. " I don't want to fight." Draco said. " I just miss my best friend, that's all."

Hermione's expression softened, and she sighed, thinking for a moment. Finally, she broke the silence. "Let's make a pact okay?"

Draco looked up at her. "What kind of pact?" He questioned.

Hermione continued, "no matter how much we hate each other's friends, and no matter what happens at school, we'll be best friends forever, and we'll always come back to this place."

Draco gave her a small smile. "Agreed." He said, but she continued, "and we'll still do our best to see each other regularly at school..." She hesitated. "But secretly..." She looked at him tentatively. He nodded. They both understood that an open friendship at Hogwarts would cause too much trouble. For Hermione, it could even be dangerous. Draco's friends weren't the most tolerant people.

As the Christmas break continued, Draco and Hermione quickly fell into their old friendship as though it had never been interrupted. Draco couldn't remember having a better Christmas. Soon, though, they were on their way back to Hogwarts for the new term, their pact not forgotten. Shortly after their return, Draco was reminded of why he hated Potter and Weasley so much. It irritated him to see Hermione spending so much time with them, so when he saw the three of them sneaking out of the castle together, towards the Gamekeeper's hut, he couldn't help but follow. Peering through the window, Draco couldn't believe his eyes. A dragon was clawing its way out of a large egg on the kitchen table. Just as Draco crained his neck to get a better look, Hagrid looked up and their eyes met. Draco dropped to the ground. Hagrid had definitely seen him. He ran back up to the castle, still not completely sure of what to make of the scene he had just witnessed.

"You can't tell anyone." Hermione said when she had caught him on his own the following day. "I know you saw, but you just can't tell. You'll get Hagrid in trouble!"

"Who cares?" Draco said, in shock that Hermione was so okay with Hagrid hatching a dragon in his kitchen. "It's illegal!"

"Draco, please.." She looked at him and he could tell that she was worried. "We're going to come up with a plan. Just in the meantime, please don't tell anyone."

Reluctantly, Draco agreed.

Over the next couple of weeks, Draco kept his silence, it was only when Weasley ended up in the Hospital Wing with a suspicious bite that Draco decided he had to do something. Hermione could be the next one bitten. He went to the Hospital Wing under the pretense of needing to borrow a book from Weasley. If he could scare Weasley into saying something about the dragon in front of Madam Pomfrey, then Hermione couldn't blame it on Draco when Hagrid got in trouble. His visit with Weasley didn't go as planned however, and Draco, frustrated and annoyed simply left with the borrowed book. As he returned to his dormitory, he threw the book toward his bed. Hitting the edge of the bed, the book fell to the floor, and a small piece of parchment fell out of it. Picking it up and turning it over, Draco found a letter addressed to Ron from someone called Charlie. Draco read the letter through twice just to make sure he understood. They were getting rid of the dragon! They were moving him tonight! Draco was concerned. Moving a dragon would be very dangerous. What if Hermione got hurt?

At half past 11 that evening, Draco set out to keep an eye on Hermione as she moved the dragon. He wasn't sure that there was anything he could do if something went wrong and she did get hurt, but he couldn't stand just sitting around in his dorm not knowing. Searching the castle however, Draco couldn't find Hermione, or her friends. They said they would be here, how could he not see them? He didn't have long to look however before he heard a sharp voice

"Malfoy!" He spun around to face Professor McGonagall. He thought for a brief moment about attempting to run for it, but before he could she reached out and firmly grabbed his ear. "Detention!" She shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you!" Draco gave a feeble attempt at arguing, but McGonagall was hearing none of it.

It seemed as though Hermione and Potter, while successful at smuggling out the dragon, were not able to return to their dorms without getting caught themselves, for when Draco arrived in the entrance hall for his detention, he saw that Hermione, Potter, and Neville the toadboy were to join him. They walked to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to serve their detention. All Draco was able to do was look at Hermione, and when no one was listening he whispered to her "I'm sorry. I was just worried about you."

By the end of the school year, Draco was once again ready to return home. Ready to have Hermione all to himself for a few months. Draco boarded the train with the anticipation of seeing her tomorrow, and every day of the summer. He hoped that next year would prove easier to spend time with her, but in the meantime, they still had their place, and they still had their pact.